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Internal links (5): Louisiana inmate search, send money, Louisiana reentry resources, Staying Connected hub, how prison works hub
Voice: Plain, honest, practical. No false comfort. No condescension. She made a choice. Honor it and give her what she needs.
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Grandparents Raising Grandchildren in Louisiana | InmateAid
Louisiana has one of the most substantial named kinship subsidies in this series: the Kinship Care Subsidy Program (KCSP) pays **$450 per month per eligible child** who lives with a qualified relative other than a parent. That amount was doubled in January 2022 after not being updated since the program's creation in 1999. It is funded through the federal TANF block grant and administered by the Louisiana DCFS (Department of Children and Family Services).
There is a decision to make before you apply: Louisiana requires you to choose between the KCSP and FITAP (Family Independence Temporary Assistance Program -- Louisiana's TANF). You cannot receive both. If the KCSP pays $450 per child and FITAP pays less for your household, KCSP may be the better choice. A DCFS representative or legal aid attorney can help you calculate which is more beneficial for your situation.
Louisiana also has a legal tool that most grandparents in other states do not have: the Provisional Custody by Mandate. It is a notarized form that grants you provisional custody of a grandchild without requiring a court appearance. For KCSP purposes, you can use a Provisional Custody by Mandate to begin the program while you pursue formal court-ordered custody -- but you must obtain the formal court order within one year of enrolling.
Louisiana uses parishes, not counties. The parish system means your local DCFS office is the parish-level Office of Family Support (OFS). The 1-888-LAHELP-U hotline (1-888-524-3578) connects you to OFS statewide.
You did not plan for this. You raised your children. You got to the other side of it. And then your child was incarcerated and the grandchildren needed somewhere to go. You said yes.
This article covers what Louisiana offers you and what to do first.
The Decision You Already Made
You already made the hardest decision. The grandchildren are with you. Everything else in this article is about making that workable.
A few things to understand about your position in Louisiana right now:
If you are caring for grandchildren without DCFS involvement, the KCSP is your primary financial resource -- but you need to obtain or be pursuing legal custody or guardianship, and you need to fall below 150% of the federal poverty level.
If DCFS placed the grandchildren with you, you may be in the kinship foster care certification process. Ask your DCFS worker about the KCSP, guardianship subsidies, and the Methodist Foster Care Kinship Navigator program.
For all programs, the first call is: **1-888-LAHELP-U (1-888-524-3578)**. This is DCFS's statewide information and benefits hotline, open for KCSP, FITAP, SNAP, and daycare assistance applications.
Legal Authority: What It Is and How to Get It in Louisiana
**Provisional Custody by Mandate**
Louisiana has a legal mechanism that does not require a court hearing: the Provisional Custody by Mandate. It is a form signed and notarized by the parent (or by certain other relatives under specific circumstances), granting you provisional custody of the child.
For KCSP purposes, a properly signed and notarized Provisional Custody by Mandate satisfies the custody documentation requirement -- but you must obtain formal court-ordered legal custody within one year of enrolling in KCSP.
For a parent who is incarcerated: contact the Louisiana DOC facility to arrange for the parent to sign the Provisional Custody by Mandate with notarization. LDOC facilities have notary services -- coordinate through the facility case manager.
The Provisional Custody by Mandate is a Louisiana-specific tool. It enables you to start receiving KCSP benefits quickly while the formal court process proceeds.
For more information on Provisional Custody by Mandate, see louisianalawhelp.org (search "Nonparent Custody") or contact your local legal aid organization.
**Court-Ordered Legal Custody**
For comprehensive, long-term legal authority, a Louisiana family court can grant you legal custody of the grandchildren. A parent's incarceration is documented grounds for demonstrating inability to care for a child.
Legal Services of North Louisiana (Shreveport), Southeast Louisiana Legal Services, and other regional legal aid organizations provide free civil legal help to income-eligible Louisianans.
The Louisiana Grandparents Raising Grandchildren Information Center (LAgrg.org) provides quarterly legal workshops and can refer you to legal assistance resources.
**Guardianship**
Guardianship provides more comprehensive legal authority and -- if the children came through DCFS foster care -- may be accompanied by a guardianship subsidy payment. Ask your DCFS worker about the guardianship subsidy if the children have been in DCFS custody.
**Adoption**
Adoption permanently terminates the biological parent's parental rights. It is not reversible. Consider carefully when the incarcerated parent has a realistic path to release and reunification.
Money: What Louisiana Offers Kinship Caregivers
**KCSP -- $450 Per Month Per Child**
The Kinship Care Subsidy Program is Louisiana's primary financial support for relative caregivers not in the foster care system. At $450 per month per eligible child, it is among the higher named kinship payments in this series.
**Eligibility requirements:**
- You must be a qualified relative: grandparent or step-grandparent (including to the great-great-great level), or adult relative within the fifth degree -- aunts, uncles, brothers, sisters, first cousins, nieces, nephews
- You must possess or obtain legal custody or guardianship within one year of enrollment (a Provisional Custody by Mandate satisfies the documentation requirement at enrollment)
- Household income must be less than 150% of the federal poverty level (based on family size)
- The child must not receive SSI or foster care payments
- The child's income must be less than $450 per month
- Neither parent may reside in your household
- You must apply for FITAP (Louisiana TANF) and agree to pursue child support from the child's parents
**The KCSP vs. FITAP choice:**
You cannot receive both KCSP and FITAP. If you qualify for both, you must choose. Consider:
- KCSP pays $450 per child per month; FITAP may pay less depending on household size
- FITAP recipients also receive Medicaid; KCSP recipients may access Medicaid through other pathways (see Louisiana Medicaid below)
- KCSP has no time limit (unlike FITAP which has welfare work requirements)
- Consult a DCFS representative or louisianalawhelp.org before choosing
Apply by calling 1-888-LAHELP-U (1-888-524-3578) or at dcfs.louisiana.gov. Required documents: child's birth or baptismal certificate; court custody order or notarized Provisional Custody by Mandate.
**FITAP (Family Independence Temporary Assistance Program)**
FITAP is Louisiana's name for TANF. It provides cash assistance to families with children when resources are insufficient. FITAP recipients may also receive Medicaid benefits. Choose between FITAP and KCSP based on which provides more for your household.
Apply through OFS at 1-888-LAHELP-U.
**Louisiana Medicaid**
Children in kinship care are generally eligible for Louisiana Medicaid administered by the Louisiana Department of Health. Medicaid covers doctor visits, dental, prescriptions, mental health services, emergency care, and vision.
Apply through the Louisiana Department of Health or through the DCFS application at 1-888-LAHELP-U. If you receive FITAP, Medicaid coverage comes automatically.
**SNAP (Food Assistance)**
Apply for SNAP through OFS at 1-888-LAHELP-U or dcfs.louisiana.gov. The grandchildren's presence increases your household benefit level.
**Daycare Assistance**
OFS provides daycare assistance for income-eligible families. Ask about daycare assistance when you apply for KCSP or FITAP at 1-888-LAHELP-U.
**Guardianship Subsidy (DCFS Foster Care Cases)**
If the grandchildren came through DCFS foster care, a guardianship subsidy may be available when the children transition from foster care to your permanent guardianship. Guardians may be eligible for continued services after the youth reaches age 18 through age 21 for those meeting requirements. Ask your DCFS worker.
**Social Security**
If the incarcerated parent was working before arrest, the grandchildren may be eligible for Social Security dependent benefits. Call 1-800-772-1213. SSI may be available for grandchildren with disabilities.
The KCSP 2027 Transition Notice
Acts 2025, No. 478, will transition the KCSP from the Office of Children and Family Services to a new entity called "Louisiana Works" effective October 1, 2027. If you are receiving KCSP benefits, DCFS has stated that your benefits and services will continue without interruption during the transition. No action is required now. Monitor dcfs.louisiana.gov for updates as 2027 approaches.
LAgrg.org: Louisiana's Grandparent Resource Center
The Grandparents Raising Grandchildren Information Center of Louisiana (LAgrg.org) is a nonprofit organization dedicated specifically to Louisiana kinship caregivers. It provides:
- **Legal support and referrals**
- **Monthly support group meetings**
- **Annual statewide conference** for grandparent caregivers
- **Quarterly newsletter** with news on programs, benefits, and legal changes
- **Quarterly legal workshops** -- direct legal education for grandparents navigating the system
This is the most Louisiana-specific kinship care organization in the state. It is the peer community and legal education resource that the system does not automatically provide.
Contact: lagrg.org
The School Question
With legal custody, a Provisional Custody by Mandate, or court-ordered guardianship, school enrollment is straightforward in Louisiana.
Without legal authority, use the federal McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act. Schools must immediately enroll children who lack stable housing documentation, including children living with relatives due to a parent's incarceration. Ask the school district's McKinney-Vento liaison.
For children with IEPs or 504 plans, you will need legal authority or a signed parental authorization from the incarcerated parent to participate in planning meetings. LDOC facilities have notary services -- contact the facility case manager.
Medical Authorization Before Court Paperwork Is Done
For a Provisional Custody by Mandate: once signed and notarized, this document provides you legal authority to make medical decisions for the grandchildren. It is the fastest path to medical authorization in Louisiana.
If the Provisional Custody by Mandate is not yet in place, get a separate notarized parental medical consent form from the incarcerated parent through LDOC notary services. The facility case manager can help arrange this.
Apply for Louisiana Medicaid for the grandchildren at 1-888-LAHELP-U or through the Louisiana Department of Health. Medicaid enrollment does not require legal authority -- it requires proof of the child's identity and Louisiana residency.
What She Is Carrying That He Cannot See
You did not plan for this stage of your life. The grandchildren arrived and with them came school forms, doctor appointments, the cost of feeding children on a fixed income, someone to be home.
You are also carrying complicated feelings about your child who is incarcerated. Those feelings do not have to resolve. You can love your child and be angry. You can hope they get out and be afraid of what comes next.
Louisiana's communities -- the parishes of New Orleans and the bayou communities of Acadiana and the small cities of the north -- hold family close. In many Louisiana communities, this is not a private matter; the family and the community are woven together. That can mean real support. It can also mean judgment that arrives uninvited.
The Grandparents Raising Grandchildren Information Center (lagrg.org) connects you with other grandparents who know this territory. Monthly support groups, the annual conference, the quarterly legal workshops -- these exist because the community of people doing what you are doing in Louisiana is real and organized.
Talking to the Grandchildren About Where Their Parent Is
The children know something is wrong. Silence does not protect them.
Use honest, age-appropriate language. For a young child: "Your dad made a mistake and he has to stay somewhere else while he learns from it. You are safe and I am here." For an older child: "Your mom is in prison. She did something against the law and a judge decided she needs to be there for a while. She loves you. She is not in danger."
Do not make promises about when the parent will be home that you cannot keep. Let the children have their feelings. Keep the parent present in appropriate ways: photos, letters, phone calls.
Louisiana DOC phone calls go through ICS Corrections / GTL. You control which numbers are approved. The grandchildren's relationship with their incarcerated parent is theirs.
Louisiana Medicaid covers mental health services for children. If the grandchildren are struggling, ask the school counselor for a referral or the child's Medicaid primary care provider.
Your Relationship With Your Incarcerated Child
Your feelings about your child are complicated. You are raising their children because they cannot. Both things are true.
What the grandchildren need: to see that you are not punishing their parent through them.
What you need: a place to hold the complicated feelings that is not in front of the grandchildren. LAgrg.org support groups, a therapist, a trusted person -- any of these is better than carrying it alone.
What to Do First: A Practical Checklist
Get a Provisional Custody by Mandate signed by the incarcerated parent and notarized through LDOC notary services. Contact the facility case manager. This gives you immediate legal authority and satisfies the KCSP custody documentation requirement.
Call 1-888-LAHELP-U (1-888-524-3578). Apply for KCSP -- $450 per month per eligible child. Bring: the child's birth/baptismal record; the Provisional Custody by Mandate or court custody order.
Decide between KCSP and FITAP. You cannot receive both. Consult a DCFS representative or louisianalawhelp.org to determine which pays more for your household and what the Medicaid implications are.
Apply for SNAP and daycare assistance at the same time via 1-888-LAHELP-U.
Apply for Louisiana Medicaid for the grandchildren through LDH or DCFS.
Start the formal court-ordered custody process. You have one year from KCSP enrollment to obtain it. Contact your local legal aid organization or visit lagrg.org for a legal workshop referral.
Enroll the grandchildren in school. Use McKinney-Vento if needed.
Contact LAgrg.org. Monthly support groups, quarterly legal workshops, annual conference. This is the Louisiana kinship caregiver community.
Take care of yourself. LAgrg.org is there. Use it.
FAQ
**What is the KCSP and how much does it pay?** The Kinship Care Subsidy Program provides $450 per month per eligible child who lives with a qualified relative (not a parent). To qualify: household income below 150% of the federal poverty level; legal custody or Provisional Custody by Mandate with formal custody obtained within one year; neither parent living in the household; must apply for FITAP and agree to pursue child support. Apply at 1-888-LAHELP-U (1-888-524-3578) or dcfs.louisiana.gov.
**What is a Provisional Custody by Mandate?** A Louisiana-specific notarized form that grants provisional custody without a court hearing. It allows you to access KCSP immediately while you pursue formal court-ordered custody. Contact the LDOC facility case manager to have the incarcerated parent sign and notarize the form. Formal court-ordered custody must be obtained within one year of KCSP enrollment.
**Do I have to choose between KCSP and FITAP?** Yes. You cannot receive both simultaneously. KCSP pays $450 per child per month; FITAP pays cash assistance based on household size and may include automatic Medicaid. Consult a DCFS representative or legal aid attorney about which is more beneficial for your household before applying.
**What is FITAP?** FITAP is the Family Independence Temporary Assistance Program -- Louisiana's name for TANF. It provides cash assistance to families with children when resources are insufficient. FITAP recipients also receive Medicaid. Choose between FITAP and KCSP; apply for the program you select at 1-888-LAHELP-U.
**What is LAgrg.org?** The Grandparents Raising Grandchildren Information Center of Louisiana is a nonprofit organization providing legal support, referrals, monthly support groups, an annual statewide conference, a quarterly newsletter, and quarterly legal workshops specifically for Louisiana kinship caregivers. It is the peer community and legal education resource for grandparents raising grandchildren across Louisiana parishes. Contact: lagrg.org.
**Can I enroll my grandchildren in school without legal authority?** Yes. Under the federal McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act, schools must immediately enroll children living with relatives due to a parent's incarceration, even without typical documentation. Ask the school district for its McKinney-Vento liaison. With a Provisional Custody by Mandate, standard enrollment applies.
**How do I talk to the grandchildren about their parent being in prison?** Use honest, age-appropriate language without promises about when the parent will be home. Let the children have their feelings. Keep the parent present appropriately -- photos, letters, LDOC phone calls through ICS Corrections/GTL. Louisiana Medicaid covers children's mental health services; ask the school counselor or primary care provider for a referral if needed.
[SPEC NOTE: Folder 1mWUamVufeanK-LZbmcw4rbPb7yRIWRSP. Internal CTAs: Louisiana inmate search, send money, Louisiana reentry resources, Staying Connected hub, how prison works hub. SOURCING: dcfs.louisiana.gov/page/grandparent-relative-caregiver (KCSP financial assistance income eligible families relative children apply through OFS 1-888-LAHELP-U 1-888-524-3578; FITAP; SNAP; Child Support 1-877-7LADCFS; LAgrg.org nonprofit; guardianship subsidy continued services age 18 through 21; Family First Prevention Services Act Kinship Navigator Methodist Foster Care DCFS certification; Supporting Grandparents Raising Grandchildren Act 2019); justia.com Louisiana RS 46:237 (KCSP established DCFS office children family services grandparents step-grandparents other adult relatives fifth degree legal custody or guardianship minor relatives; possess or obtain within one year of enrolling; annual income less than 150% federal poverty threshold; apply for FITAP; neither parent residing in home; agree pursue child support enforcement; funded TANF block grant; Acts 2025 No 478 effective October 1 2027 transition to Louisiana Works; annual reconsideration eligibility); louisianalawhelp.org KCSP (KCSP $450 per month per eligible child qualified relative other than parent; legal custody within one year; Provisional Custody by Mandate properly signed and notarized; if lose custody don't update paperwork benefits stop; income below 150% federal poverty adjusted family size; child income less than $450 per month not SSI not foster care; cannot receive KCSP and FITAP must choose; consider amount time limits Medicaid; court order for legal custody or Provisional Custody by Mandate); findhelp.org KCSP (KCSP cash assistance eligible children qualified relatives not parents; visit website apply online; 1-888-524-3578; household birth/baptismal record court custody guardianship documents or notarial statement); Loyola Probate Desk Manual (KCSP $450 per month each eligible child qualified relative not parent grandfather grandmother extends great-great-great); lagrg.org/financial-assistance (OFS KCSP TANF food stamps daycare assistance; LA CHIP children's health insurance; Region I Orleans 1-504-838-5630; Region II Baton Rouge 1-225-925-4540); grandfamilies.org Louisiana (LAgrg.org legal support referrals monthly support groups annual statewide conference quarterly newsletter quarterly legal workshop; Louisiana Answers ADRC Aging Disability Resource Centers Governor's Office Elderly Affairs); dcfs.la.gov/news January 2022 (KCSP FITAP benefits doubled January 2022; 1,338 households KCSP November 2021; average KCSP benefit $420.50 before increase now $450; 1,484 FITAP households; new max FITAP $484 national average; lifting financial burden qualified relatives caring for child parents not in home); louisianalawhelp.org GRG resource guide (Shreveport Bar Foundation Pro Bono Project Legal Services North Louisiana; Governor's Office Elderly Affairs; Family Law Task Force Elder Law Task Force); louisianafostercare.com (Methodist Foster Care Kinship Navigator partnership DCFS certification process kinship caregivers DCFS custody access supports services certified Kinship Caregivers; LAgrg.org nonprofit information support kinship caregivers families); LDOC ICS Corrections GTL phone; LDOC notary services; 1-888-LAHELP-U 1-888-524-3578 DCFS OFS; dcfs.louisiana.gov; McKinney-Vento school enrollment; Social Security 1-800-772-1213. NOTE for Poorwa: verify KCSP $450/month per child still current at dcfs.louisiana.gov/page/kcsp; verify 1-888-LAHELP-U 1-888-524-3578 current; verify KCSP income 150% FPL current; verify one year to obtain formal custody from enrollment still current; verify Provisional Custody by Mandate still satisfies KCSP documentation requirement; verify KCSP vs FITAP must choose one still current; verify Acts 2025 No 478 Louisiana Works transition October 2027 and current KCSP still active; verify lagrg.org Grandparents Raising Grandchildren Information Center still operating; verify louisianalawhelp.org current Louisiana legal aid resource; verify Methodist Foster Care Kinship Navigator still DCFS partnership; verify LDOC ICS Corrections GTL phone provider; verify McKinney-Vento still applicable; len/character check before publish.]